Metal-bending machine



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A. M. TIBBITS. METAL BENDING MACHINE.

.No. 453,172.. Patented May 26, 1891 ms NORRIS runs cm, mnro-umo.,WAsklNuTON, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

AUSTIN M. TIBBI'IS, OF CORTLAND, NEV YORK.

METAL-BENDING MACHINE.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,172, dated May 26,1891.

Application filed June 9', 1890. Serial No. 354,713. (No model.)

2'0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AUSTIN M. TIBBITS, of Cortland, in the county ofCortland and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Metal-Bending Machines, of which the following'is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to machines for bendlng metal rods, especiallysuch as are used in carriage-making.

The object of the invention is to produce a machine in which a rod maybe clamped and held and bent in one or more directions by lever-powerand with a minimum of friction and resistance.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodying the invention.Fig. 2 is atop plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a broken detail view of theunder side of the bending-lever. Fig. 4 IS a similar view of a second orfinishing lever used on some kinds of work.

The numeral 1 indicates the bed or table of the bending-machine. Thisbed or table is firmly attached to the fixed jaw 2 of a vise. The tablemay have extensions 100 where deslrable. The movable jaw 3 of the viseworks in a slot 4 in the table and is pressed open by a spring 5. Acam-lever 6, pivoted between lugs 7, (on the table or fixed jaw,) servesto close the jaw 3 against jaw 2, as is common in bench-Vises. A formeris firmly attached to the table of the machine. The end 11 of thisformer is of the shape to which it is desired to bend the rod. Theformer may be secured to the table by a screw or bolt 12, passingthrough it or in other suitable manner. A hand-lever 15 is pivoted tothe table at a little distance from the end of the former and the jawsby a bolt or rod 16, which passes through the lever and former into orthrough a perforation in the table. The lever 15 has a roller 18supported on a horizontal axis in position to ride centrally over oracross the jaws 2 3 when the lever 15 is swung on its -pivot. A roller19 on a vertical axis swings past the central position of the jaws 2 3.Thus roll 18 will tend to bear on the side of a rod clasped in the jawuntil the rod is bent down, when roll 18 will ride on top of the rod,and roll 19 will bear against the side of the rod and bend it sidewisearound former 11, when the lever 18 is swung on its pivot. The lever 15has a strap or band 20 extending for some distance along'the sides andround the end thereof. The part of the-lever is inclosed within thisstrap 20, and has a hole 26 for the passage of bolt 16. The block 25 isconnected to the main part'l5 of the lever by springs 27 27, whichsprings have one end secured to pins or bars 28 on lever-section 25 andat the other end to pins or supports 29 on the lever proper. Pins 28pass through slots 290 in the strap 20. Thus the lever is slightlyextensible or yielding in length, the two sectionsbeing held together bysprings 27. A top plate 30 extends over the joint between the twosections of the lever, and is attached to the pivotal section by a screw31. This top plate strengthens the joint between the lever-sections.Assuming now that the machine be in the position shown in Fig. 1 and theend of a rod be clamped between jaws 2 and 3, the upper end of the rodwill extend upward from the jaws alongside the lever 15. Then the lever15 is swung in the direction of the arrow, the roller 18 will press onone side of the rod and roller 19 on a side at a right angle therefrom,and

the rod will be bent both down and sidewise around the end 11 of theformer 10. The pivoted end of the lever will turn on its pivot; but thelong end or sweep 15 will yield slightly against the pressure of springs27, so as to carry roller 19 a little farther away from its pivot if thepressure be too great, as when the rod is of excessive diameter. Whenthe lever is in the position shown in Fig. 2,the rod will have been bentdown by roll 18 and the roll 19 will be bending the rod around theformer. The bending will be completed, or nearly so, when the lever 15is about at a right angle to the edge of the table. The rod may beheated before being clamped in the vise; but will usually be bent cold.The pivot 16 holds the lever 15 in aposition about parallel with theface of the table against an upward pressure. Oonsequentlya straight rodheld in the jaws must be bent down against the table by the pressure ofroll 18, and will be bent sidewise between roll 19 and the former 10when the lever is swung on its pivot. The

lever 35, omitted in Fig. 1, is pivoted on a suitable pivot 40 near theedge of the former 4], the pivot passing through hole 37 in the lever.The abutments l2 and 43 serve to clamp a rod, so that it may be bentbetween the roll 30 and the former 41. The arrangements of abutments 42and 4S and the lever 35 permits the bending of the stem of a T- shapedrod or bar, the cross of the T being placed in groove 44, and the stemplaced against the former to be curved by the lever 35 and its roller.It is not always essential that the rollers 19 36, &c., should rotate. Arounded surface will approximate the same results. The rod may be heldin the Vise and brought nearly to form by the yielding roll or abutment19 of the lever 15, and the bending finished by lever 35, having theunyielding abutment. In fact, with the machine described a great varietyof work may be done.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In a metal-bending machine, the combination of aclamping-vise, a former near the jaws thereof, and a lever pivoted nearthe former and having a roller or similar bearing-surface with its edgetoward the former, and a second roller at right angles thereto forgiving the first bend, co-operating with the jaws of the vise, acting asa first former, sub-. stantially as described.

2. In a metal-bending machine, the combination of a table, a formerthereon, a lever in sections, having one section pivoted to the tablenear the former and having operatingrolls, one on a vertical and one ona horizontal shaft on the other section of said lever, thelever-sections being connected by springs and straps, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination, with the table secured to the fixed jaw of a viseand having the other vise-jaw movable in a slot therein, of a former inproximity to the vise, an extensible or yielding lever pivoted near theformer, and rollers at right angles to each other, mounted on theyielding lever, substantially as described.

4. In a metal-bending machine, the combi' nation of the bed or table,aholding-vise, and a lever sweep having one unyielding abutment facingthe vise-jaws, with aformer and a yielding abutment in the lever sweep,placed at right angles to the first abutment, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my siguatu re in presence of two witnesses.

\Vitn esses:

JOHN W. SUGGETT, GEORGE J'. MAYCUMBER.

